


Something About You

by Lohksparce



Series: A Guardian and a Dreg Walk Into a Bar [1]
Category: Destiny (Video Games)
Genre: Acts of Kindness, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-09
Updated: 2020-04-09
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:35:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23553142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lohksparce/pseuds/Lohksparce
Summary: A chance encounter with a hungry Dreg leads Gaia-1 to do something unheard of: offering a Fallen something to eat.
Relationships: Male Guardian/Original Fallen | Eliksni Character(s)
Series: A Guardian and a Dreg Walk Into a Bar [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1695205
Comments: 2
Kudos: 48





	Something About You

**Author's Note:**

> Here it is, the start of the official little story involving my Titan, Gaia-1, and his ghost, Palindrome. 
> 
> Get ready for some cuteness.
> 
> Also this is inspired by me finally witnessing that sometimes idle Dregs will just squat down and eat bugs off the ground, and I felt really bad about that. C'mon Bungie, let me give them some food.

Gaia-1 hunkered down behind a rock, orange optics casting a gentle orange glow onto the stone. The Exo gripped his auto rifle a little tighter, but he didn't raise or fire it. The heavy air of the Tangled Shore's caves filtered through his helmet apparatus, dusty even with the automatic filtering built into it. He didn't need to breathe like Humans or Awoken, but the dust was still an annoyance. Despite it all, the Tangled Shore was one of his favorite places in the galaxy. Where else could one go and see asteroids strung together via cables, hiding subterranean caves full of lush greenery or secretive ship yards? The Shore was an excellent place to watch the Fallen from too without alerting them or anyone else.

And that was what he was doing: watching the Fallen.

He was supposed to be handling a bounty from the Spider, hunting for one of the House of Dusk's servitors that had been causing trouble, but the cave down to the shipyard was full of Fallen, mostly Dregs it seemed. Many would call him strange for watching the Fallen, especially considering he was a 'big, dumb Titan' and not a Warlock or some researcher, but they were cute! Just because he was a Titan didn't mean he wasn't curious about things. Sure, he was nearly as tall as Shaxx, and he wasn't the smartest or the most coordinated considering how many times he killed himself with his own grenades or on his own Sparrow by tumbling down a hill and causing a fiery explosion, but he wasn't dumb.

Though, Asher Mir would probably disagree but he disagreed with most things.

Gaia-1 watched a few of the Dregs chatter in the back behind a cluster of rocks before they split up, and most of them went further down into the cave. One lone Dreg came walking back in the direction of the cave's entrance and Gaia-1 quickly scooted further behind the rock. He braced himself for a warning shriek and a hail of bullets, but nothing pelted the rock. All he heard was soft breathing and a muffled grumbling noise.

Cautiously, he peeked around the rock again. The Dreg was squatting in front of a large, tarp-covered crate, poking at the ground with its shock dagger. Gaia-1 watched in silence as the Dreg shifted the dagger in its hands and began to pick and dig through the dirt and yellowed grass that had sprouted despite the lack of light. Ever so often, the Dreg brought a hand to its mouth and popped something inside it, munching lightly. Gaia-1 brought his gun up, avoiding the trigger completely and peered through the scope.

Were those bugs...?

The Exo felt a pang of sadness in his chest.

From what he had gathered from research entries, notes left behind by enemies, and Vanguard files, he knew Dregs didn't have an easy life, but to be hungry enough to just sit and eat beetles off the ground in a dusty old cave was just... sad. Guardian rations weren't the best things in the world usually, but it was miles better than bugs. And even if you got tired of them, there was always the great ramen restaurants back at the City, and plenty of other good stuff too.

Gaia-1 frowned, and ducked back behind the rock, lowering his gun again.

_'Pal, do we still have that oven Eva gave us for baking from the last Dawning festival?'_

Palindrome's voice appeared in his head and his com-line without hesitation. _'Yes, we do, it's tucked up under the little pull-down counter_ _. Did you need it?'_

_'Yeah. Do you think you can transmat it to me somehow? Or cook something up in it for me and transmat the pastries to me?'_

_'Wow. You must be extra hungry today. I think I can do that though_ _. Gi_ _ve me a minute!'_

_'Thanks, Pal! It's not for me though, it's for this Dreg I'm looking at. They're just eating bugs and I think I heard its stomach growling too. I feel bad for it.'_

After a moment Gaia-1 added, _'Do you think pastries are deadly to Fallen? I know Spider ate his candy ghosts just fine... I think.'_

Inside his little pocket dimension, Palindrome wished he had a face so he could smile. Oh, what a strange Guardian he had. Very few Guardians would be trying to interact with the Fallen positively, let alone trying to bake them cookies. But he wouldn't give up Gaia-1 for the universe.

 _'_ _Poor thing. And as far as I know, they aren't. I'll go with some Traveler Donut Holes. Can't go wrong with those!'_

_'You're the best, Pal.'_

Gaia-1's mouth light brightened briefly inside his helmet. He really had to do something nice for Palindrome soon, his dear Ghost had to put up with a lot from him. The Exo peeked back out from the rock for a moment. Good, the Dreg was still there eating bugs. A few minutes passed, and a small blue box shimmered into existence next to his leg.

_'Thanks again, Pal.'_

_'You're welcome. I'm standing by in case things go wrong.'_

Gaia-1 stowed his gun on his back quietly before picking up the box. Now, where was the best place to lay his gift at without getting spotted? His metallic brow furrowed as much as it could. After a minute, he finally settled on laying the box at the edge of the rock, just in view. Gaia-1 turned and quietly hurried up towards the cave entrance, settling behind another rock. He glanced around for a moment before picking up a small stone and tossing it into the wall with a loud crack.

The Dreg jumped, pulling his pistol on instinct.

He jumped to his feet, gripping his weapons tightly. Blue eyes scanned the cave for threats, and then they locked onto the box sitting at by the rock. It was small, and blue, and it certainly wasn't there earlier. He tilted his head slightly, mandibles parting idly. He scented the air: no smell of solar or gunpowder, but there was something sweet? Cautiously, the Dreg crept towards the box and squatted down near it. He poked it with his shock dagger. Nudged it with his shock pistol. So far, it wasn't a grenade of some kind or else it would have already exploded.

The Dreg glanced back towards the little dug-out full of beetles.

Maybe just a small, little look. It was probably nothing anyways.

Then more bugs could be eaten...

The Dreg sighed.

Using his shock dagger, he slowly and carefully prodded the top off the box. A sweet smell wafted up from inside the box, and his mandibles parted automatically to absorb the scent. Furious grumbling reminded the Dreg that he was hungry. He peered into the box curiously, mouth opening, and even more of the new and tantalizing scent buffeted him. Never had he smelt something like it before. It was sweet like fruit but not like how some alcohol's were, but a little savory and light too. The Dreg reached down and plucked one of the warm, glazed donut holes up. He glanced back behind him, then around, then at the pastry again.

It didn't seem like a trap. He couldn't smell any poisons on it.

The Dreg hesitated a moment, then took a tiny bite out of the donut hole. Then another. A third, and before he knew it, the Dreg nearly bit off one of his own fingers. One by one, the Dreg scarfed down the donut holes, grabbing them up by the handful. He'd never tasted anything so delicious in his whole life. The only thing that even compared were the rations of fresh Ether he was given, and those came so rarely.

He went to get another donut hole but his hand hit empty box and crumbs, and he clicked in disappointment.

From behind his rock, Gaia-1's face was bright with an Exo grin.

_'I think they liked it, Pal. Can you bake and transmat another box down, maybe two? I'm gonna do something that might be stupid.'_

_'You got it. And I'll be on stand-by in case you need a rez.'_

_'Thanks, buddy. I love you.'_

_'Love you too.'_

After a few moments, another two boxes transmatted down next to the Exo. Gaia-1 grabbed the boxes and took a deep breath. Hopefully he wasn't going to end up stabbed or shot. At least if he did, he was a Guardian and he could come back, but getting stabbed or shot still wasn't fun.

Gaia-1 stood up, and stepped out into the view. The Dreg jolted and raised his pistol, shouting a threat in Eliksni and scrambling to his feet. To his surprise, the Guardian didn't shoot, impale, blown him up, or launch a grenade of Light at him. He was just standing there, holding not one, but two of those blue boxes out at him.

Boxes that gave off wisps of that wonderful smell again.

The Dreg slowly slowed his pistol, mouth falling open and mandibles parting. Had that Guardian left that box there for him? But how had he known he was hungry? Or had he done it just to be... nice? If it had been something poisonous, he'd probably have died already or the Guardian certainly wouldn't be offering him more of it. He chittered to himself.

"I don't know if you can understand me, but I'm not going to hurt you," Gaia-1 whispered, shaking the box a little. "You seemed really hungry and I felt bad about you just eating bugs, so... here. More of the donut holes. You can have it."

The Dreg tilted his head. Only bits and pieces of the Guardian speak made sense to him, but he understood enough. He crept forward carefully, all of his eyes locked onto Gaia-1, but the Exo didn't make any sudden movements. Gaia-1 just offered a grin and kept the boxes held out. The Dreg put his weapons back in their respective holsters before reaching out and taking the boxes. He scooted back quickly, holding them almost protectively.

"I'm, uh, gonna go now, okay?" Gaia-1 said, motioning in the direction of the cave's entrance. "I hope you like them."

The Dreg watched Gaia-1 turn slowly, and head further up the cave. He clutched the boxes quietly, unable to believe his eyes. No Guardian had ever not-tried to shoot him, and yet here this strange one was, giving him boxes of tasty things.

No violence, no hostility, just... kindness.


End file.
